Sickle grinder



Jan. 29, 1952 c. B. WEBBER SICKLE GRINDER Filed Jan. 30, 1946 2SHEETSSHEET l 2 4 Fig.2 5 a T r 'I 45 A M51 55 ie J I 4'2 i2 52 $4 /14u, a 48 Clifford b. Webber Jan. 29, 1952 c. B. WEBBER 2,583,758

SICKLE GRINDER Filed Jan. 30, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Clifford. B. We bberW 61mm Patented Jan. 29, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in sickle grinders, an objectthereof being to provide a simple, durable, inexpensive and easilyoperated grinder capable of accurately sharpening the blades of sicklesof the type commonly employed in mowers and reapers.

A sickle of the type mentioned consists of a bar and a series ofgenerally triangular blades arranged in edgewise abutting relationshipand riveted at the butts thereof upon said bar. The forwardly pointingbody of each blade is beveled along the opposite upper margins thereofto produce sharp edges. In use, sickles rapidly become dullnecessitating the resharpening thereof in some manner, it beingpreferable that the blades be ground in their assembled dispositions onthe sickle-bar, whereby the sickle may remain undisturbed and ready forprompt reapplication to the implement in which it is used. This mode ofsharpening sickle blades is common and is customarily carried out by theemployment of a grinding wheel of opposed frusto-conical formationhaving oppositely beveled faces against which adjacent edges of adjacentblades of a sickle are concurrently presented with the crotch betweensuch blades receiving the ridge on the grinding wheel. Conventionalmanipulation of a sickle relative to a grinding wheel, whereby theblades of the sickle are successively presented to said wheel and movedback and forth thereover, results in the sharpening of the blades in amore or less satisfactory manner depending upon the effort involved andthe accuracy of manipulation of the sickle. Mechanical contrivances ofdifferent kinds have been employed with limited success in so handling asickle assembly, but all of them, so far as known, are relativelycomplicated and diflicult to operate reliably, especially in the handsof inexperienced persons.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a sicklegrinder constructed to overcome the disadvantages experienced inprevious grinders, a more specific object being to provide a sicklegrinder, as aforesaid, in which the sickle is stationarily held whilethe grinding wheel is moved relative thereto to sharpen the adjacentedges of adjacent blades of the sickle.

Another object of the invention is to provide in an instrumentof presentcharacter a bed along whicha sickle may be advanced, step by step,successively to bring the blades thereof within range of the grindingwheel, a further object being to supply yielding means for releasablyholding a sickle in place upon said bed, and an additional object beingto provide means for guiding the operator in appropriately stationingthe sickle on the bed at each step thereof in the grinding operation.

to present said grinding wheel near the position wherein the grindingofa sickle is to be effected thereby, and which is readily movable tobring 1 the grinding wheel into grinding contact with the sickle at eachstep in the sharpening thereof;

A further object of the invention is to provide a grinder of the instantnature in which the prime mover for the grinding wheel is supportedtogether with said wheel by the movable mounting means for said wheel.

Other objects of the invention reside in the novel combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterillus' trated and/or described.

In the drawings, Fig. l is a perspective view of a form of sicklegrinder embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of thestructure illustrated in Fig. 1, a sickle being shown in place on thebed rail of the device; Fig. '3 is a plan view and Fig. 4 is a frontelevational view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1.

Reference being had to the drawings wherein similar parts are designatedby similar reference characters throughout the several views, it will beseen that the illustrated embodiment of my invention includes a frame Aconsisting of a rearwardly opening channel-bar constituting a bed raila, and a tubular member intermediately bent to form a post Ill and aforwardly extending beam l l. Another tubular frame member, forming atie-reach l2 between said post to and said bed-rail a, is welded at itsrear end to said post" It), in parallelism with the beam I I, and iswelded at its front end to the bed rail a intermediately of said rail.The bed rail 0. is disposed at right angles to the upright plane commonto said tiereach l2 and beam II and the channel insaid bed-rail receivesthe said front end of said tiereach I2. Welded to the base of the postI0 is a member b at the rear thereof, and a link b de-L 3 pending fromsaid beam H and supporting said mounting b at the front thereof. Thebody of the mounting, as shown, is an angle-bar II, one flange thereofbeing substantially horizontally disposed and the other flangeverticallydisposed. Welded edgewise along the free edge of saidhorizontal flange is a plate or shelf I8.

The body of the rear hanger link 2) consists of a channel-bar. I9 to thelower. end of which a clevis 2Uis welded. A pivot pin :2! extendingthrough the arms of said clevis 20 also extends through a bushing 22welded to the rear end of the angle-bar IT. A similar clevis 23 isswivelly" connected to the beam II by means of a stud 24- extendingupwardly through said beam and fitted at its upper end with a nut 25riding the top of the beam II. A pivot pin 26-extending through thedependingarms of said clevis 23 also extends 7 through a bushing 21welded to the upper end 'of I the channel-bar I9.

The body of "the -front hanger link 21 "comprises ahelibal extension"spring-28- which is caught "at" its upper end on a hook 253 hungfromtheirail I I and wh'lcl'r caught at its" lowerend on an upstandinghook 39 welded to the front :portion' of the an'gle bar IT.

A- horizontally disposed" journal bearing 3|, wel'dedto 1 the front"endof said" angle-bar I'I; revolubly supports a' sh'aft 32i Fitted tosaid shaft 32 near'on'e end 'of the' bearing 3|, is "a grinding wheel 33of'opposed'frusto conical formation, the same having anintermediateannular ridge '34 and sloping faces35 at eitherfside-thereof. Near theother'end' of saidibearing'3l, a pulley 36 is secured-'to said shaft 32;saidpulley 36' being conplaced .onthe-bed rail a inthe'illustratedmanner irr which the iunder faces of; the blades 41 restupon the upper flange 40 of said bed rail a with the. blades: 4 Ipointing rearwardly' of- .the device and: the.- rearwardedgebf thebar.42 abutting against-the. web 43-of thebedrail a at-the front thereof.Being thusdisposed relative to said bed:-rail-, .thesickle C is slidablyguided thereby for longitudinal movement lengthwise thereof.

Welded to thevmounting b of the hanger B. is

al -forwardly extending arm formed at its free end. to provide a handle45. Grasping said handle .45, an operator can depress the. forward end"of .the. mounting band -.sw-ing.-.-the same: fore.

and-Taft to bringv the grinding wheel 3.3'movably intoengagement withthe sickle. Appropriately, the sickle willbe stationed on the bed rail aso that the crotchbetweentwo adjacent blades M will. be centeredin thenormal vertical plane of the annular ridge- 34 of'the grinding wheel 33;

Thus, in a simple downward movement ofthehandle 45" followed by a forthand back motion, the-sloping surfaces '35- of' the grinding wheel 33will be movably contacted with the beveled marginsof such 'twoadjacentblades-similarly to grind and-sharpen the-edges: thereof. Having groundsaid'edges as desired; the operator will. release the':handl'e45 andthespringfflpwhich wasrpre viously extended in depressing the forwardend of the mounting b, will contract and return said end of saidmounting to its normal elevated position clearing the grinding wheel 33from the sickle blades.

The upper flange so of the bed rail a is notched, as at 46, toaccommodate the lower portion of the grinding wheel 33 which extendsdownwardly beneath the plane of the sickle blades 4| in the grindingoperation. Axguard'fl, welded to the mounting b and overreaching theupper portion of the grinding wheel 33 protects the operator from flyingsparks emanating from said grinding wheel.

The sickle being ground is shifted step by step along the bedrailsuccessively to present adjacent edgesof adjacent blades 4| in positionto be engaged by the grinding wheel 33. To keep therearedge of thesickle bar 42 in slidably guided relationship against the front face ofthe web43 of the bedrail. a, a front guideafl is provided: Said frontguide- 48 consistsofa; clip: welded to said. web-.43;of.fthe bed.rail;a.. This. clip. has an. upstanding: terminal. flange. 49 which.isengaged bythe front edge'of. the sickle bari42.-. On said flange 49 ofthe guide-clipAB-is an.indi-.-

cater-line 56 with whichjoints between adjacent blades 4|are.successivelyregistered in the step by step advance of thesicklexC.along the bed raila. In re'gisteringthe joint-between twoadjacent bladesM with said indicator-line ifl; the crotch between two othenadjacent-blades 4Iwi11- be substantially centered with respectQto thenormalplane of the annular ridge 34-of thegrinding wheel 33. Thelsickle c;thus stationed with reference to the-indicator. 50; will be properlycontacted by the grinding wheel 33 upon maneuvering the hanger 11, 215aforesaid Preferably, the grinding.wheel. 33 rotates-in alclock wisedirection as seen. in-Fig. 2,.the tendency of the sickle to creeprearwardly'across the-bedrail. a being resisted by engagement ofIthesickle. ban 52 with the front face of theweb..43-of said bedrail; Tohold. the sickle. C in endwiseadjusted positionon top of the bedrail-a,I. provide a releasable clamp. D including a. hold-downfinger 5|disposed above the upper face otthe bed rail. a near the front guide 48aforesaid. Saidfinger 5'! is pivoted at itsv rear end, as at. 52,- to

theread end of a rearwardly extending mounting strip. 53Qfastened tosaid bed rail; a. Enci'rcling.

the upper portion of a headed bolt 54, extending. upwardly through saidmounting. stripv 53 and:

hold-down finger 5!, is a helical spring 55 which is compressed betweensaid finger 5| and a; nut 58 on said bo1t54. Through this bolt 54; saidspring 55 yieldingly reacts to clamp the holddown finger 5| againstthe'upper face'of sickle C on the bed rail a, and, in turn, to clampsuch" sickle against said bed rail. Said clamp Dis released to free itsgrip'upon the sickle simply'by.

lifting theforward end of the holdl-down finger 5i against the action ofthespring 551- If desired; a second or supplementary front guide;similar to said front guide 48; may be secured 'to the" bed rail a nearthe end thereof opposite the clamp D. While the rear suspension link'b"confinesth'e hanger mounting b substantially to a forward and backwardmotion, the'swiveling 'of saidli'nk, at its connection with the beam II, frees the front end of the hanger mountingb' for sideW-ise movementpermitted by the-spring ZBin the front suspension link'b Thus,considerable"tolerance is provided; whereby the'a'djacent edges of ad--jacent blades ofa sickle maybe similarl'y and"- uniformly ground 7 eventhough the crotch be hended that the instant device is simple, compact,

durable and inexpensive in construction and, while relatively rough inconstruction, is capable of operating with precision in unskilled hands.A feature facilitating the use of the device resides in the stability ofthe swinging hanger B by reason of the added weight on the hangermounting b supplied by the motor 39 for driving the grinding wheel 33.

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein described, maybe made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from thespirit of my invention.

4 Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

l. A grinder comprising a frame having an overhead support, a firstsuspension linkage hung from said support adjacent its forward endthereof, said suspension linkage including a yieldingly extensibleelement constructed and arranged to permit both fore and aft and lateralswinging of the lower end of said first linkage, a second suspensionlinkage hung from said support adjacent its rear end thereof, saidsecond linkage comprising a swiveling element connected at one end tosaid overhead support for rotation about a vertical axis, an armpivotally connected atone end to the opposite end of said swivelingelement for movement about a horizontal axis, a hanger support pivotallyconnected adjacent one end thereof to the free end of said arm formovement about a horizontal axis, the hanger support being connected tosaid first suspension linkage adjacent its forward end thereof, agrinding wheel revolubly supported on said hanger support adj'acent itsforward end thereof, a motor mounted on said hanger support between saidfirst and second linkages, and means operatively connecting said motorto said grinding wheel for rotating the same, whereby the firstsuspension linkage permits the forward end of the hanger support to bemoved downwardly and to be swung fore and aft and sidewise to place saidgrinding wheel in contact with the surfaces to be ground and said secondsuspension linkage permits the rear end of said hanger support to turnabout the vertical axis of rotation of said swiveling elementconformably with the sidewise swinging movements of the forward end ofsaid hanger support and further permits the hanger support to pivot backand forth conformably with fore and aft swinging movements of theforward end of said hanger support.

2. A grinder comprising a frame having an overhead support, a firstsuspension linkage including a helical spring hung from said supportadjacent its forward end thereof, a second suspension linkage hung fromsaid support adjacent its rear end thereof, said second linkagecomprising a stud connected at one end to said overhead support forrotation about a vertical axis, the opposite end of said stud connectedto a U-shaped member, an arm pivotally connected at one end within thelegs of said U-shaped member for.

movement about a horizontal axis, a hanger support pivotally connectedadjacent one end there-'- of to the free end of said arm for movementabout a horizontal axis, the hanger support being connected to saidfirst suspension linkage adjacent its forward end thereof, a grindingWheel revolubly supported on said hanger support adjacent its forwardend thereof, a motor mounted on said hanger support between said firstand second linkages, and means operatively connecting said motor to saidgrinding wheel for rotating thesame, whereby the first suspensionlinkage permits the forward end of the hanger support to be moveddownwardly and to be swung fore and aft and sidewise to place saidgrinding wheel. in contact with the surfaces to be ground and saidsecond suspension linkage permits the rear end of said hanger support toturn about the vertical axis of rotation of said swiveling element con-,

formably with the sidewise swinging movements of the forward end of saidhanger support and further permits the hanger support to pivot back andforth conformably with fore and aft swinging movements of the forwardend of said hanger support. o. 3. A grinder for a sickle consisting of abar and a series of triangular tooth-like blades secured at their buttsupon said bar and bevelled along their free upper margins to providecutting edges, said grinder comprising a holder for the sickle, a framehaving an overhead support, a first suspension linkage hung from saidsupport adjacent its forward end thereof, said suspension linkageincluding a yieldingly extensible element constructed and arranged topermit both fore and aft and lateral swinging of the lower end of saidfirst linkage, a second suspension linkage hung from said supportadjacent its rear end thereof, said second linkage comprising aswiveling element connected at one end to said overhead support forrotation about a vertical axis, an arm pivotally connected at one end tothe opposite end of said swiveling element for movement about ahorizontal axis, a hanger support pivotally connected adjacent one endthereof to the free end of said arm for movement about a horizontalaxis, the hanger support being connected to said first suspensionlinkage adjacent its forward end thereof, a grinding wheel of 0pposedfrustoconical formation having dual grinding surfaces, said grindingwheel being revolubly supported on said hanger support forwardly thereofabove said holder, a motor supported on said hanger support between saidfirst and second linkages, and means operatively connecting said motorto said grinding wheel for rotating the same, whereby the firstsuspension linkage permits the forward end of the hanger support to bemoved downwardly and to be swung fore and aft and sidewise to contactthe two opposing faces of the grinding wheel simultaneously with andalong adjacent edges of two adjacent blades of the sickle, and saidsecond suspension linkage permits the rear end of said hanger support toturn about the vertical axis of rotation of said swiveling elementconformably with the sidewise swinging movements of the forward end ofsaid hanger support and further permits the hanger support to pivot backand forth conformably with fore and aft swinging movements of theforward end of said hanger support.

4. A grinder for a sickle consisting of a bar and a series of triangulartooth-like blades secured at their butts upon said bar and bevelledalongatheirlrfreeiupper marginsito provide cutting edges, saidrgrindercomprising a holder-"for: the sickle, at frame: having anoverheadsupport; a-:first suspension linkage including a helical springhungs'from said support adjacent its forward-"end thereof, a. secondsuspension" linkage.

hung'fromsaid support adjacentits. rear, end

supported: on said hanger. support forwardly" thereof: above saidholder; 21: motor-mounted: on saidihanger" support between. said firstand secend-linkages, means 'operatively connecting said motor to saidgrinding wheel for rotating: the

same; whereby the first suspension linkage permitsthe'; forward end ofthe hanger support to b'esmove'dfdownwardly' and to he swung. fore andaftzandzsiclewise to contactthe two-opposing faces ofsfthe grindingwheel' simultaneousiy with and along'adjacent edges of two adjacentblades of the sickle andz-said second linkage permits the rear endoftsaidshanger support to. turn about the vertical, axis: of' rotationof said swiveling element conformably: with: the: sidewise swingingmovements of the-forward end-of said hangersupport-and further permitsthe hanger support toipivotback and forth conformably' with foreand-af-t-swinging movements ofv the forward end of :saidhanger support.

5; A: grindercomprising a frame having an overheadisupport', a firstpendulousv suspension linkagerhung fromsaid support forwardly thereof;azsecond' pendulous suspension linkage hung from:said'support'rearwardlythereof, a hanger support carried. by said first and second linkages,said: first linkage :being connected at its Cir means:

8fi lower portion; tosaidhanger support forwardly thereof and saidsecond linkage beingconnected at its lower portion to said hangersupport rearwardly thereof, agrinding wheel revolubly-supported on thehanger support at the forwardportion thereof; a motor; mounted onvsaidhanger support between said first linkage and said sec ond linkage,means operatively connecting saidmotor to' said grinding wheel forrotating: the. same, said first linkage being yieldingly' extensibleenabling the forward portion of the hanger support tob'e forcedlymoved'downwardly to lower the grinding wheel into contact with anarticle to-beground, said first linkage being swingable fore and aft andlaterally enabling said forward portion of saidhangersupport to besimilarly moved for shifting the grinding wheelforwardly,rearwardly andsidewise, said second linkage being swingable, but only fore and aft;enablin'g'tlie rearward portion of said hanger support to moveconformably' with'the' forwardand rearward movements'of said forwardportion of said hangersupport while depriving said rearward portion ofsaid hanger support'of lateral swinging movements, said secondlinkagesupporting said rearward portion of said hanger support swivellyenabling the same to turn horizontally in conformity with the sidewisemovementsof said forward portion of said hanger support. V

CLIFFORD B. WEBBER,

REFERENCES CITED The followingireferences are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

